80s Level Squad Goals for Climate Action
When you are trying to get out of trouble, like the infamous Breakfast Club, it's better to do so with friends, colleagues or whatever motley "squad" you can muster. The scientists of the squad have alerted us to the fact that climate change means trouble if we don't band together in unexpected ways to solve it. Now universities, colleges, businesses, cities, states and more must figure out how to make change happen. We are all different and come from diverse backgrounds and specialties, but that is the kind of motley crew we need. As a new member of the UC3 expressed at the Vancouver Summit, when we "jump in" together, we have greater courage and stand a better chance of success. Plus, we like you guys. Thanks for jumping in on one of the most, if not the, most important challenges of our day.
UC3 Vancouver Summit Highlights
Climate crew feels were flying last week at the UC3 Summit in Vancouver hosted at the University of British Columbia, where presidents, sustainability staff and government officials gathered to collaborate on meeting climate commitments and align efforts to reduce emissions to keep global temperature rise under 2ºC. The two-day event included interactive cross-sector planning for UC3 members, multilateral meetings with ministers from the BC area and UC3 presidents and President Napolitano's announcement of UC3's new "Research for Policy" platform with the release of a Carbon Pricing Policy guide for presidents. The Breakfast Club would have been proud. |
Research for Policy Platform Overview
For an ultimate group project, the University Climate Change Coalition launched the Research for Policy Platform at the UC3 Vancouver Summit. The Platform is a joint research and development platform that will establish a unified set of principles and policies in order to directly support Higher Education Leaders in local, national and international 1.5 degree-aligned climate policy engagement. Transitioning towards a net-zero emissions economy requires coordinated action across sectors and enabling policy frameworks. Universities are well positioned as anchor institutions to drive forward policy and goals at various levels of government that will help humanity address the current climate crisis in time. |
Accelerate Action: Climate Emergency Declaration
When the crew goes global: Networks representing more than 7,000 higher and further education institutions from six continents came together to announce a Climate Emergency declaration earlier this month during the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative meeting as a part of the UN’s High-Level Political Forum in NYC. Some of the coverage included: LA Times, Times Higher Education, University World News.
One striking thing about this effort is the reminder of how unique the Climate Leadership Network is - its order of magnitude and more campuses committed to aggressive climate action than anywhere else in the world - which is an opportunity to scale. -Tim Carter, president of Second Nature.
There's still time to sign on to the letter. Ideally, the president or chancellor of respective institutions will sign on to this letter on behalf of the institution. However, if an institution has already committed to the outlined actions, any faculty or staff member of the institution can sign on to reiterate its pre-existing commitment.
Calling for an Inconceivable 2020 Summit Cast of Presenters
The Summit Request for Proposals is open through September. Share with your president / faculty / staff colleagues and join us in Atlanta, February 23-25, 2020.
The 2020 Summit is the premier gathering of higher education leaders committed to driving our nation’s climate action. Second Nature and the Intentional Endowments Network are inviting the Climate Leadership Network and friends from all disciplines, backgrounds and perspectives to submit proposals for next-level conversations, workshops and concurrent sessions for the 2020 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit.
Higher Ed Highlights
Lane Community College
Lane Community College gets students involved in planning their latest Climate Action Plan "Lane has a strong commitment to becoming carbon neutral and to helping to educate the next generation of leaders about the importance of reducing greenhouse gases. |
University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati's partnership with Second Nature set the blueprint for impactful and integrated campus sustainability initiatives. Explore how the school incorporates the tenets of innovation and urban futures into the latest Climate Action Plan by clicking the button below. |
University of Toronto
UC3 member, the University of Toronto, recently published their 2019 Annual Report of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS). Created in 2017, the CECCS has been advancing the understanding of sustainability as embracing environmental and human wellbeing, and the interactions between them. Check out the report to learn about the university's achievements integrating operational and academic sustainability.
Resources
UC3's New Higher Ed Carbon Pricing Brief
As its first product of the newly announced Research for Policy Platform, UC3 presents “The Role of Higher Education in Advancing Carbon Pricing: A Preliminary Briefing for University Leaders”.
UC3 convened subject matter experts from across North America to discuss Higher Education’s Role in Advancing Carbon Pricing. This preliminary brief includes a menu of options for college and university leaders who want to engage on this issue internally on their campuses or externally with cross-sector partners. The full report is forthcoming later this fall.
New Carbon Offset Resources Page
We have significant interest from campuses, especially those with rapidly approaching carbon neutrality dates, about carbon offsets. Many are familiar with our C2P2 program where we sell campus offsets, but there is also a lot of other activity in the space. Therefore, we've created a new online portal where these resources can be accessed all together and which you can find here.
Large-Scale Renewable Energy Resources
Three new LSRE resources exclusively for signatories in the Climate Leadership Network are now available on the Second Nature website. We are providing a set of renewable energy resources for campuses, developed by Second Nature Clean Energy Fellow Will Elmore. It includes guidance for institutions exploring large-scale renewable energy procurement and supports aggregations to move from the interest stage to the advisor RFP signing stage. To access the resources, email support@secondnature.org for password and visit our Renewable Energy Resources Page.
The Campus as City
The Chronicle has offered Climate Leadership Network members $20 off a print or digital copy of "The Campus as City." The discount code is CAMPUS20.
This Chronicle report examines the tensions and challenges of running a city within a city. With greater financial pressures bearing down on colleges, they can’t operate in isolation anymore: Partnerships with private companies, local agencies, and community groups are vital. The report explores creative new ways to deliver services, what it means to be a responsible anchor institution, and the deep collaborations that drive large-scale projects.
Climate Change and Human Health
Simmons University School of Nursing and Health Sciences recently published an article titled “A Clinician’s Role in Climate Change Awareness." The resource reviews the impacts that climate change has on human health, from respiratory implications to weather-related injury and illness. In addition to outlining these impacts, it also analyzes the role of health professionals in advocating for climate-related health policy. I believe this would be a valuable resource for your community to learn more about the greater health impacts of climate change.
Webinars
Step Away from the Spreadsheet:
Online Tools are Making Sustainability Management in Higher Ed Easy
August 6 12:00 - 1:30 pm EDT (Free)
Join this upcoming AASHE webinar with presenter and Climate Programs Senior Manager at Second Nature, Steve Muzzy. "Management of sustainability data in higher education has experienced an exciting evolution over the last few years. Whereas spreadsheets used to dominate, there are now a variety of online tools available to help institutions efficiently track, manage, and reduce their environmental impact while generating financial savings. Each of these tools fills an important niche. However, it can be challenging for energy management and sustainability professionals to determine where they fit into a campus’s sustainability management plans. Learn more.
Upcoming Events
Boston Event with Engie
Second Nature, Engie, Boston University, and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission are co-hosting a workshop today (7/31) in Boston with participants from numerous campuses. The focus is on energy services and also incorporates a "Bring Your Own Problem" session where participants will present a challenge that they are facing at their campus and then the other 8-10 people at the table will respond, saying how they would approach that particular challenge. Participants are coming from BU, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Clark, Emerson, Harvard, MIT, Mass Maritime, Northeastern, Ohio State, Pace, Smith, Tufts, and UMass-Boston, among others. Slides from the presentations can be available to campus representatives. Email Eric Howard at ehoward@secondnature.org to request slides.
Signatory Offer for Horizon 19: September 18-20th
Attend Horizon19, a global event-driven platform that harnesses the international movement towards a clean economy. With 20,000 unique and growing contacts in the climate change space stemming from the inaugural event, the momentum to act on clean energy solutions is rapidly accelerating. Horizon19 is the platform to uniquely offer resolutions to act on climate commitments in concert with the Paris Agreement, 2030 Sustainability Goals, We Are Still In, and America’s Pledge.
Through Second Nature's partnership with Horizon19, University and college members of the Climate Leadership Network receive 2 complimentary tickets per institution and a 50% discount for additional attendees.
Email ehoward@secondnature.org for the discount codes to register.
On the Second Nature Blog
Call It What It Is and Then Do Something About It
In our most recent blog, Tim Carter, President of Second Nature, reflects on the climate emergency messaging
"I ran across a new term today: Crisification. It doesn’t show up in any online dictionary, and I’m honestly not sure it’s a real word, but it seems to refer to the act of framing something as a crisis that may otherwise exist as a “problem” or “issue.'"
